Flotation bladder assembly unit



Oct. 24, 1961 A. J. FRUENDT FLoTATloN BLADDER ASSEMBLY UNIT 2SheetsuSheet 1 Filed April 28, 1959 INVENTOR.

J. FRUENDT ADEL wr Hl a BY AGENT Oct. 24, 1961 A. J. FRUENDT 3,005,214

FLOTATION BLADDER ASSEMBLY UNIT Filed April 28, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ADEL J. FRUENDT AGENT 3,005,214 FLOTATION BLADDER ASSEMBLY UNIT Adel J.Fruendt, 17 S. York Road, Hatboro, Pa. Filed Apr. 28, 1959, Ser. No.809,579 7 Claims. (Cl. 9 8) (Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code (1952),sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to signaling and locating devices and moreparticularly relates to improvements in sea markers of the flotationtype.

`Heretofore, sea markers of the otation type were of considerable weightper unit of volume. Furthermore, in addition to the weight disadvantage,the bulk of a deated sea marker was considered excessive. It is,therefore, desirable to provide a light, compact, and relatively smallsea marker assembly unit having a bladder which can be expanded to arelatively large volume which is visible from a considerable distanceand can also function as a life preserver. Another disadvantage of priorart sea bladders is that a puncture therein had a tendency to cause arelatively quick and total deliation or collapse of the marker. Forexample, rubber bladders have a tendency to contract when a leak occursand the contraction operates to squeeze all of the inating iluid out ofthebladder.

It is contemplated that the present invention will eliminate the abovedisadvantages commonly found in a bladder type sea marker. j

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a seamarker free of the disadvantages pointed out hereinabove.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a sea marker whichcan be packed as a relatively small unit having a flotation bladdercapable of being inflated to relatively large dimensions so as to becapable of adequately functioning as a sea marker.

It is also a further object of the invention to provide a lsea markerwhich, in case it develops a small pin hole leak, tends to remaininflated or at least dellates at a relatively slow rate as against otherbladder type sea markers which will deflate or collapse rapidly.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a sea markerwhich can also be utilized as a life float, the float being capable ofsupporting the weight of a man.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a means for packingan inflatable otation bladder inside of a tube or casing in such amanner that the bladder can be automatically ejected therefrom andinilated without the deated bladder jamming in the casing.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a markerhaving a cylindrical casing which houses an inflatable otation bladderhaving the shape of and functioning as a piston in the casing, thebladder piston being ejected by pressure fluid and inflated with thesame pressure fluid.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a marker asset forth in the preceding object wherein a major portion of the bladderis folded and disposed within the cylindrical casing with the bladderenclosing an open end of the cylindrical casing, the bladder beingfolded and turned inside out when packed in the casing Yso that the samepressure fluid which ejects the bladder also inates the same. When thebladder is inated, the uid pressure actuated piston is disposed insidethe bladder.

The invention further resides in certain novel features of construction,combinations and arrangements of parts,

r"ce

and further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art to which it pertains from the followingdescription of the present preferred embodiment thereof described withreference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thespeciication, sent corresponding parts throughout the several views, andin which:

FIG. l is a View of a sea marker flotation unit embodying the invention,a casing of the unit being partially in section to show details of theinterior thereof;

FIG. 2 is a View similar to View l showing the arrangements of parts ofthe unit during the initial stage of ejecting and inatng the sea markerimmediately after a buoyant expansible uid has been released forexpansion within the casing;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view showing the sea marker in its iniiatedcondition;

FIGS.` 4, 5 and `6 pictorially illustrate the folding 0f thesea markerfor packing within the casing during the assembly of the unit.

p `It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to thedetails of construction and arrangements of parts shown in the drawingsand hereinafter described in detail, but is capable of being otherwiseembodied and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. It is tobe further understood that the phraseology or terminology employedherein is for the purpose of description `and there is no intention toherein limit the invention beyond the requirements of the prior art.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the reference numeral 10 indicates generallya preferred embodiment of the invention which comprises a cylindricaltubular container or casing 11 having a dellated, folded, expansibleflotation bladder 12 packed therein. The bladder 12 is capable of beinginated and of being used as a sea marker.

The bladder 12 is shown in FIG. 3 in its inflated condition. The openend or neck portion 13 of the bladder 12 is telescoped over the upperend of the cylinder 11, as seen in FIGS. l and 3 and then the bladder 12is folded or rolled up from the outer closed end thereof and formed intoa piston-like conliguration and inserted into the casing 11 in a mannermore fully described hereinafter. The bladder 12 is preferably made of apolyethylene or other suitable plastic material and liberally lubricatedwith talcum powder. The talcum on the bladder 12 lubricates the internalcylindrical Wall of the casing 11.

The inner bight-shaped end of the folded bladder 12 is held with anelastic band 14 and the outer end of the bladder 12, which is telescopedover the outer end of `the container 11, is sealed with a waterproofmasking or sealing tape 15. lt is understood that a conventional clampcan be applied over or substituted for the tape 15 if desired.

A packet 16 of water soluble dye, such as liuorescein, is placed overthe outer end of the piston-like folded bladder 12, and a cup-shapedrubber cap 17 is slipped over the upper end of the casing 11 forenclosing the packet of dye 16 and sealing the casing 11.

The other end of the tubular casing 11 .is closed with a plug Ztl. Theplug 20 has an externally threaded cylindrical, outer end portion 21 andis thereby adapted to be connected to coupling means 8, shown in hiddenoutline, for attachment with an automatic explosively-operated actuatingmechanism of the character described in applicants U.S. Patent2,801,026, dated July 30, `1957. However, it is to be understood thatother actuating mechanisms can be used for supplying a buoyant uid, suchas compressed carbon dioxide, air, or other suitable fluid, forinllating the bladder `12. j

As a matter of operation, when a buoyant pressure uid capsule is broken,the pressure fluid escapes from the and wherein the same referencecharacters repre-` 3 capsule into a coaxial passage 22 in the threadedend portion 21 of the plug 2l) 'through diffuser means comprising fourradial drill holes or passages 23 in a cylindrical embossment ,2,4 ofthe end plug 20 inside the casing 11.

Each of the passages 23 is perpendicular to the adjacent passages 23 andintersect atr Aa Common center, which communicates with the centralpassage 22.' Once the pressure fluid passes through the passage 22 andthe diffusing passages 23 into the casing 11 between the end plug 2lband a generally 'cup-shaped nonmetallic piston 25, the piston 25 isurged towards the outer vend of the casing 11 and at the same timepushes the piston-like bladder 12 outwardly thereof.

Referring to FIG. 2, as the liud Vexpands behind the piston 25, theupper or outer end of the bladder 12 reacts against andA separates thepacket 16 and the rubber cap 17 from the casing 11. The fluid continuesto expand behind the piston 25 until the bladder 172 is fully inflated,a's shown in FIG. 3. Since the bladder 12 is initially folded inside-outduring the assembly of the unit 10, the piston 25 will be `stored withinthe container 12. The weight of the piston 25 is insignificant. The band14, being burst or forced otf Vof the bladder 12 by the expandingbuoyant fluid, is also stored within the bladder 12.

As seen in FIG. 3, the bladder is generally cylindrical and expands to adimension which is preferably approximately si'x times the length of thecasing 11 and to a diameter preferably approximately seven times thediameter of the casing 11. The total volume of the inflated bladder 12is accordingly approximately forty-two times the internal volume of thecasing 11.

How the bladderl 1-2 is folded within the container is considered animportant feature of the invention. Referring to-FIG-.V4, the bladder12, in its deflated condition, is generally elongated and is `'rolled orfolded from the outer closed end thereof unt-il the overall length ofthe bladder is approximately twice the length of the space availabletherefor in the casing 11. After the folding takes place, as shown inFIG. 4, the folded or rolled portion 32 is folded over alonga-longitud-inal center crea-se 33 normal to the axis 'of the fold 32until the bladder 12 assumes the V-shaped configuration shown in FIG. 5.The rolled portion 32 is then grasped and an apex or bight end 35 oftherolled portion 32 is pivoted 90 to the right, FIG. 5. The bottom view ofthe newly assumed configuration ofthe bladder 12 is shown in FIG. 6. Theapex 3S of the roll 32 is then threaded through the eye of the neckportion 13. Preferably, the roll 32 is inserted through the neck portion13 before the -neck portion 13 is placed over the outer open end of thecasing 11. The roll 32 is squeezed andY compressed into la substantiallycylindrical configuration and the elastic band 14 is applied thereabout,FIGS. l and 2. The roll 32 is then inserted into the casing 11 until theapex end 3S abuts against the juxtaposed face of the piston 25.

The neck portion 13 is then telescoped over the end of the casing 11after the bladder 12 is packed within the casing 11 and the Waterprooftape 15 is applied as pointed out. Preferably, the neck portion 13 iscoated with a plastic to reinforce the same and make it more rigid.

It has been discovered that the foregoing manner of packing theinflatable bladder 12 within the casing 11 provides the optimum methodof packing the largest bladder` in thejsrnallest volume. The preferredform of the casing 11 is very small and light. For example, the casing11 is preferably of aluminum and is two inches in diameter'and teninches in length. This will accommodate a bladder which can be inflatedto approximately -fourteen inches-in diameter and five feet in length.

Furthermore, not only is thebladder of a sufficiently large sizeand of amaterial which can be colored with a fluorescent dye, s uch as abrilliant orange or other bright color visible in the open water, butalso the sea marker has a buoyancy that will support the weight of a manand can, therefore, be used as a life preserver or to oat equipment,gear,rand the like. Y i Y It is the intention to hereby cover not onlythe above mentioned preferred construction shown, but to cover alladaptations, modifications, and uses thereof which come within thepractical skill in the art to which the invention relates, and the scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is: K

l. vIn a flotation assembly, cylindrical casing means,

means for connecting said casing means to ya supply of buoyant pressurefluid, piston means in said casing means and movable throughout thelength of said casing, bladder means having an open end connected to.and enclosing one end of said casing means, a portion of said bladdermeans being folded into a piston-like shape Vwith one end disposedwithin said open end of said bladder means` and enclosed by said casingmeans, said piston means forming a gas tight separation between saidbladder means and the supply of pressure fluid so that when the.pressure iluid acts against said piston means the latter forces saidbladder means out of said piston means whereby -said bladder means isinated. 1

2. In a 'flotation assembly, a cylindrical casinga ,gen-` erallyelongated bladder adapted to be inated with pressure uid, said bladderhaving a Yneck portion with a cent'ral passage communicating'with theinterior of said casing,

means for hermetieally sealing said neck portion of said bladder to saidcasing', said bladder being foldedfrorn` the outer end thereof until theoverall length of said bladder is approximately twice lthe length of thespace available for said bladder insaid casing., the folded portion ofsaid bladder being creased along a generally longitudinally extendingcenter line and folded over 'so as to form a bight portion, said bightportion extending through said neel; portion into said casing, bandmeans disposed about said bight.portionofsaidbladder, a plug havingdiffuser means enclosing one end of said casing, a cup-shaped piston'disposed between said plug andv said bladder in said casing, a rubbercap disposed over-'the end. of said casing opposite to said plug, apacket of water-soluble dye disposed within said cap in juxtapositionwith said. bladder,` said plug being adapted to be connected to a supplyof buoyant pressure fluid for ejec'ting said piston and, said. bladderout of said casing and separating said. dye .packet and. said cap fromsaid casing and inflating Asaid bladder, saidpistonand said band meansbeing disposed, within said bladder when the same is inated.

3. In atlotation assembly,l cylindrical casing means Y'hav-i ing. anopen, end, generally elongated bladder means adapted to be inflatedvwith .pressure duid, said. bladder means having a neck .portion with acentral .passage cornmunicating with 'the interior of said casing means,said neck portion being disposed about the open-end of -said casingmeans, means for hermetically sealing and connecting said, nec-k.portion of said. bladder means. to said casing rneanssaidl bladderAmeans, being folded from the outer end thereof until the overalllengthof said. bladder means is approximately twice the length of thespace. available for said ybladder means in said casing means, thefolded portion of said bladder, means being creasedalong a generallylongitudinally extending center line and folded over so as toV form abight portion, said bight ,portion extending throughsaid neckportioninto said casing means', band means disposed Yabout said bightportionY of said bladder means, plug means having diffuser meansdisposed in said casing means, cup-shaped piston means disposed betweensaid plug( means andsaid bladder mea-ns, rubber cap means disposed overthe end of said casingV means opposite toV said .plug means, said .plugmeans being adapted.

4. In a flotation assembly, tubular casing means having.

an open end, vgenerally elongated bladder means adapted to, beA inflatedwith pressure huid, said bladder means;

having a neck portion with a central passage communicating with theinterior of said casing means, said neck portion being disposed aboutthe open end of said casing means, means for hermetically sealinglyconnecting said neck portion of said bladder means to said casing means,said bladder means being folded from the outer end thereof until theoverall length of said bladder means is approximately twice the lengthof the space available for said bladder means in said casing means, thefolded portion of said bladder means being creased along a generallylongitudinally extending center line and folded over so as to form abight portion, said bight portion extending through said neck portioninto said casing means, means for lubricating said bladder means, plugmeans having diffuser means disposed in said casing means, cup-shapedpiston means disposed between said plug means and said bladder means,said plug means being adapted to be connected to a supply of buoyantpressure iluid for ejecting said piston means and said bladder means outof said casing means and inllating said bladder means, said piston meansbeing disposed within said bladder means when the latter is inated.

5. In a otation assembly, tubular casing means having an open end,bladder means adapted to be inflated with pressure iluid, said bladdermeans having a neck portion disposed about the open end of said casingmeans and a central passage communicating with the interior of saidcasing means, means for connecting said neck portion of said bladdermeans to the exterior of said casing means, said bladder means beingfolded from the outer end thereof until the overall length of saidbladder means is approximately twice the length of the space availablefor said bladder means in said casing means, the folded portion of saidbladder means being creased along a generally longitudinally extendingcenter line and folded over so as to form a bight portion, said bightportion extending through said neck portion into said casing means, anelastic band disposed about said bight portion of said bladder means,plug means in one end of said casing means, piston means disposedbetween said plug means and said bladder means, said plug means beingadapted to be connected to a supply of pressure uid for ejecting saidpiston means and said bladder means out of said casing means andintlating said bladder means, saidpiston means and said 6 elastic bandbeing disposed within said baldder means when the latter is inflated.

6. In a flotation assembly, casing means having an open end, bladdermeans having an open end snugly disposed about said open end of saidcasing means and having a closed end folded into and forming a V-shapedpiston portion and enclosed within said casing means, elastic band meansdisposed about said piston portion of said bladder means, plug meanshaving dilfuser means in one end of said casing means, piston meansdisposed between said plug means and said bladder means and forming agas tight separation therebetween, and cap means disposed over the endof said casing means opposite to said plug means, said plug means beingadapted to be connected to a supply of buoyant pressure Huid forejecting said piston means and said bladder means out of said casingmeans and inating said bladder means, and said piston means and saidelastic band means being disposed within said bladder means when thesame is inated.

7. In a dotation assembly, cylindrical casing means, means forconnecting said casing means to a supply of buoyant pressure lluid,piston means in said casing means and movable throughout the length ofsaid casing means, bladder means having an open end connected to andenclosing one end of said casing means, a 'V-shaped pistonlike portionof said bladder means being lubricated and enclosed by said casingmeans, said piston means forming a gas tight separation between saidportion of said bladder means and the supply of pressure uid s-o thatwhen the pressure iluid acts against said piston means said bladdermeans is forced out of said casing means and inates said bladder, saidpiston means coming to rest inside said bladder means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS2,190,531 Kaboskey etal Feb. 13, 1940 2,192,450 Miller Mar. 5, 19402,642,693 Broady June 23, 1953 2,687,541 Bannister Aug. 31, 19542,701,886 Ivie Feb. 15, 1955 2,803,838 Wales Aug. 27, 1957 2,853,724Smith Sept. 30, 1958 UNITED STATES- PATENT. OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0FCORRECTION Patent NOI. 3,0052l4 I October 24 ll Adelv Fruendt It is`hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patentrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read ascorrected below in the grant line 12v for "Adel J Fruehdt-u her heirs"read e@ Adel J Fruendt1 his heirs w3 Column line l for "belddler"` readmbladder No Signed and sealed this 10th day of April l92 (SEAL) Attest:i

ERNEST W. SWIDER DAVIDL. LADD Attesting ffier Commissioner of Patent

